Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) has rejected Poland’s demand for German reparations worth billions for damage suffered in World War II.
The issue of reparations has been “closed” for Germany, Baerbock said at a joint press conference with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau in Warsaw on Tuesday. In doing so, she confirmed Germany’s official position, which had been in force for many years, that there was no legal basis for claims for reparations from Poland.
Poland is aiming for early negotiations with Germany on reparations. A corresponding diplomatic note is on its way to Berlin, it said on Tuesday.
Germany stands by its historical responsibility “without ifs and buts”, said Baerbock. There could be “no final stroke”. However, legal foundations were created during the construction of the European Union, “that’s why this question has been legally clarified for us,” said the Foreign Minister, emphasizing the German refusal to pay reparations.
